Every year, most of us eagerly await the next big thing, especially with high-technology products. Sometimes, as with the Apple iPhone and the Apple iPad, the next big thing becomes a monster hit. Sometimes, not so much.
So, what are some 21st century high-tech “flops”? Take a look at Ian Lamont’s CIO slide show on “10 Overhyped Tech Products That Crashed and Burned.”
Click the image to see Lamont’s list of flops. Several videos are included in this story!!!
Photo by REUTERS/Beck Diefenbach
What’s most interesting is how many of these tech-flops had a great idea, however lacked the innovation to perfect their product. For example, the Cisco Cius builds on the video conferencing capabilities seen with the explosion of mobile computing in the late 2000’s. However, with the debut of the iPad occurring that very same year, paired with the steep $750 price tag, the market saw a better opportunity to adopt what would certainly be a highly popular and profitable market: tablet computing. Another event worth noting is that Apple makes an appearance multiple times on this list. It goes to show that even the iDevice kings themselves had a few misses before they could get their product line right. Perhaps another flop from Apple could be around the corner without the innovative leadership of Steve Jobs.